Holding means for knitting machine elements



April 6, 1937. v ow 2,076,128

HOLDING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINE ELEMENTS Filed July 27. 1936 Patented Apr. 6, 1937 UNITED STATES HOLDING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINE ELEMENTS Kenneth Howie, Norrlstown, Pa., assignor to Wlldman'Mfg. Cm, Norristown, Pm, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July an 1936, Serial No. 92,913

The invention relates to meansfor holding in prescribed position elements of a knitting machine, or knitting apparatus, such as knock-over bits, needles of a needle bar, or the points of a welt or transfer bar.

One object of the invention is to provide holdme means of such character and form as will accommodate itself to and compensate for irregularities in the structure or dimension of the elements, or take care of irregularities arising from any cause, such as' the manufacture of said elements, or the parts cooperating therewith, or such irregularities as may arise from differences in strains imposed on some of the elements in respect to the degree of strain imposed on other elements of the same set.

I illustrate the invention as an example in connection with knock-over bits of a flat knitting machine, such as is used for making full fashioned hosiery, but it will be understood that my invention is not limited to these particular elements, but may be employed in any situation where a plurality of elements are intended to bear a prescribed relation to other like elements of the same set.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a knockover bit assembly with my invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the compensating strip, or holder; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2, partly broken away to show the rubber center of said strip.

In this drawing, i indicates the knock-over bit of ordinary form supported by a bed 2 of brass or like material, which bed, or bar, is provided with grooves indicated by dotted lines at 3 in which the knock-over bits lie.

The knock-over bits have projections l, as in ordinary practice, engaging a longitudinally extending groove 5 of the supporting bar, or bed, 2.

Cooperating with the bar 2 is a clamp, or cover plate, 6, which, as in ordinary practice, maybe of steel, the purpose ofthis bar being 4 to clamp the knock-over bits in prescribed positions in the supporting bar 2, for which purpose the clamping plate is 'held in place by screws,

one I which is indicated at l.

compensating bar, or strip, is indicated at 8, l ted between the front edge portion of the cover plate and the upper edges of the knockover bits. This compensating strip iscomposed of a rubber center in the form of a strip, indicated at 9. .This rubber strip center is enclosed in a casing which preferably is in the form of a sheet a of comparatively soft metal, such as brass, which surrounds the rubber center, both as to its top and bottom faces and its edges. This enclosing casing is formed in one piece of metal bent upon itself, the joint between the free edges of the metal being located at the point In, which is at the rear of the strip, whereas the front edge of the strip would be entirely closed bythe intact portion of the thin sheet brass member. 10

At the rear edge of the composite strip wherethe free edges of the metal come together, one edge of the metal is provided with a small flange turned inwardly, and the lower ply of the sheet metal indicated at ll underlies this small flange,

which is indicated at l2. 7

By having the Joint between the upper and lower portions of-the sheet metal located at the holding parts, the pressure of the cover plate will cause said strip to compensate for this irregularity and exert pressure upon this knock-over bit and hold it firmly in place. On the other hand, if any knock-over bit is slightly/larger than its prescribed size, the compensating strip 30 will yield at this point and allow the clamping plate to assume its proper position so as to eificiently cooperate with the holding organization to retain all of the knock-over bits in their prescribed positions.

The metal casing being of soft pliable ma,.-. terial will have a compensatory eflect within itself, and this will be added to by the rubber center. with a bit that is slightly too high at its shank portion, the rubber will distort length- 40 wise of the strip andaccommodate itself, and thus allow the holding or compensating strip to perform its holding action in relation to the other bits of the series.

The invention is also of material advantage 45 when replacing a. damaged or worn bit with a new bit, because the strip will accommodate itself to any slight diflerence in this new bit in respect to the old bits mounted. in the bar or bed piece.

The rubber being non-compressible, but distortabie, will have a tendency to recover itself.- as conditions may require.

1. combination with knitting machine elements, holding means therefor comprising a bed and a cover member between which the elements are clamped, and; a compensating strip interposed betweenthe clamping member and the elements, 'saidstrip consisting of a center strip of renitent material and a casing of sheet material for said center strip.

2.- Holding means according to claim which the renitent material is\rubber.

3. Holding means for knittingmachine elements according to claim 1' in which the casing for the renitent center strip is composed of pliant metal.

4. Holding means for knitting machine ele- Lin 15 ments according to claim 1 in which the casing for the renitent center strip is of soft metal.

5. Holding means for knitting machine elements according to claim 1 in which the casing for the elastic center strip is of sheet brass.

6. In combination with knock-over bits of a flat knitting machine, a bed therefor, a clamping plate, and a compensating strip between said clamping plate and the upper edges of the knockover bits composed of a rubber strip center and a sheet metal casing enclosing said center, substantially as described.

elements of a knitting machine, comprising a center strip of renitent material and an enclosing casing of sheet metal bent upon itself to formv upper and lower layers with one edge closed, the free edges of the metal sheet being brought together at the other edge of the strip.

8. A compensating strip according to claim '7 in which one of the free edge portions of the metal strip is bent upon itself to providea lip or flange to receive the edge of the renitent strip. substantially as described.

9. A compensating strip for holding'knitting elements of a. knitting machine comprising a center consisting of a strip of rubber and a casing for said yielding material composed of sheet material.

10. A compensating strip for holding knitting elements of a knitting machine according to claim 9 in which said casing is of sheet material having substantially the qualities of sheet brass, substantially as described.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the sheet material is folded to present a front closed edge, the joint between the free edges of the sheet material being at the rear of the strip, substantially as described.

KENNETH HOWIE. 

